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June 04, 2007

Trinidad, terror and terminals for LNG

Ed Lasky
An unappreciated aspect of the NYC airport plot is that Trinidad, which seems the focus of the terror plot, is a large supplier of natural gas to America ( 65% of America's imports of Liquefied Natural Gas-LNG.) Trinidad and its sister island of Tobago have a Muslim population estimated to range from 10-15% of their total population-including a recent influx of immigrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan-two fertile sources of terrorists.

LNG has always been considered a dangerous material; it is a highly combustible substance that is shipped to America in cryogenic form in large ships. The potential for an explosion of these ships has long haunted American experts since such an explosion not only would kill many people but render inoperable for years to come some of our busiest ports. These explosions do happen periodically (the acronym "LNG" and the word "explosion" in Google provides some historical background).

As this Boston Globe article pointed out, an explosion of a LNG tanker would be devastating. A quote from the Globe:
Some security specialists have warned that LNG terminals, including the planned terminal in Fall River and the Distrigas facility that is operating in Everett, have the potential to create massive explosions if they are sabotaged or bombed, killing many people in densely populated areas.''An explosion at an LNG facility can trigger a firestorm, killing or injuring every person within a mile of the site," Kennedy said. ''Massachusetts and other states deserve a voice in siting whenever a project will put residents at great risk."
Terror experts have been pointing out that the American economy is crucially dependent on just a few ports that are the gateways for a large percentage of our imports and exports.

The just-in-time inventory system that flourishes among our businesses depends of a continuous and uninterruptible supply of goods through these ports. An explosion that damaged one of these ports would wreak economic havoc. The controversy over the Dubai Ports deal highlighted the perception the public has regarding the safety and security of our ports.

If a few of these LNG-carrying tankers turn into bombs that would explode in our ports, America would be in a world of trouble. Furthermore, since America is an engine of the world economy, such a disaster would take its toll on our trading partners. All the more reason to make sure that LNG terminals be built far away from our pre-existing ports ( a "remedy" that security experts have proposed).

Back in 1944, an LNG explosion in Cleveland  destroyed one square mile of the city and killed 130 people.

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